Past And Future
by TsukasaTheFominian
Summary: A bandit who sees the future, and a friend of the Heralds who can see the past. The world is going to learn that they are more powerful then any before them, and just what price comes with that power.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not in any way shape or form own Mercedes Lackey, any of the Heralds of Valdemar books or the world it is set in. Some of the names I have stolen from other books I've read, shows I've watched and Games that I played. The idea for Aderyn's Gift was inspired by the manga Land of the Blindfolded. 

**Summary:** One holds the past, the other the future, which will prove to be more powerful in this game one has set up.

Past and Future

Chapter 1 By:

TsukasaTheFominian

Kendel wasn't too worried. Sure, there had been roomers of bandits in the area, but most bandits were just small groups of people with swords. There wasn't much that could beat both a well trained Herald and his Companion when they worked together. At the age of 30, Ken was a seasoned Herald who'd been on circuit before, but the recent tales of bandits near this boarder had spooked many of the locals. Most of them dealt with problems every day, but these bandits had been in the woods for a few weeks, and the people couldn't flush them out.

:_To be honest dear:_ came his Companion, Marrie. _:The nobles are the only ones complaining. The regular towns folk haven't been bothered at all. No thievin' from them, no pillaging or raping, just constant thefts from the local Lord.: _Ken felt his friend smirk. :_And from what I've herd, that's not such a bad thing. That Lord seems as crooked as they come:_

The man could only smile. He knew that his partner was right, that the current Lord of the region was scum, and that he hadn't lost anything that would crush his household. Ken and Marrie also knew that the "bandits" had also been spending their money at the villages on either side of the forest, helping the local economy as well as leaving the people alone.

_:True, but the law is still the law. And thieves are still thieves. I'm still a Herald and its my job to uphold the law as best I can, even if it involves catching harmless thieves.:_

If he had saved that thought for only a minuet later, he would never had called them harmless. Three men jumped up from the earth and attacked the duo. In the brief time that Ken could think, he saw that they had dug holes in the ground and covered the tops with blankets covered with dirt, moss, and grass, making it impossible to tell there was anything there.

The Herald felt confident of his chances before one of the men threw something at his Companion. Something that, when it connected, trapped Marrie's mind making it impossible for her to use Mindspeech, let alone help him. Or even stand for that matter. The horse fell to the ground, forcing her rider to jump off her back, where he was over taken by two of the bandits, while the third pressed something against his mouth and nose. The shock of what happened in the course of five seconds forced him to breath in the rag, and the magical vapors which the cloth was soaked in caused Ken to feel sleepy. A few more seconds passed and the Herald was out cold.

A whistle from one of the men, and a group with a cart was there, ready to take the prisoners back to camp.

"Kid's toys really work great, don't they?"

"I've heard that Fid been teaching him how to do it."

"Somebody must be teachin' him. The brat may be a mage, but he's still only 15, no matter how skilled he is."

"Stop yappin you idiots." Their group leader yells. "You can chit-chat when we get back to camp."

With that, the men loaded up their prisoners and haled them away. In a tent back at their camp, a young man 20 years of age laid back on some pillows and smiled. "This should be a fun game." The young man's eyes unfocused and he simply stared at nothing, but all the while looking at something else.

The future.

Kendel had hoped it was all a dream, but knew it wasn't. The restraints that bound him were ample proof of that. Nothing really hurt at all though, and that was something to be happy about. A survey of his surroundings told him that he was in the middle of a tent, a large tent with only one exit. The pole he was tied to was in the exact center of the prison, making it easy for his two guards to see if he was trying to get out.

One of the guards looked like a well off bandit; his cloths and equipment weren't junk, but it wasn't brand new either. Ken could also tell from the man's stance that he was very good at what he did.

The other man… scratch that, this other person was just a boy. A teen at the most, maybe 16 years of age. The boy's blue eyes, slight build, and black hair were well cared for. He didn't seem afraid or worried. In fact, the looked pleased and excited.

"So it really worked." Ken assumed the boy was talking to himself. "Fid told me it would, but its still cool to see it happen."

_As fun as it is listening to you talk to yourself kid, I wana know what's happened._ "Where am I? What happened? And who are you?" They were standard questions yes, but every prisoner should know what's going on.

"To answer your second question, those men use powerful magical items to knock you and your Companion out. For the first, you are in our main camp. And last, I'm known to most as Kid."

Ken needed to get some info fast, so he decided to use his Mindspeech and dig around for some information. Unfortunately he soon found out that he couldn't. Something was blocking his Gift. It was something close by, because he couldn't even hear the thoughts of the two in front of him. He couldn't imagine the man blocking him. He looked like a fighter, pure and simple. The boy however, was dressed in robes like a mage.

"Are you the one who's blocking my Gift?"

The boy just smiled like it was all just a game. "Yes and no." He looked silent for a moment, like he wasn't going to continue, but he elaborated. He started by tapping on a metal band that was on his arm. "I made this thing to seal Mindspeech. As long as you wear it, the only time you'll be able to Mindspeech another is if you're touching them and if they're wearing one of these too." Kendel wondered if Marrie had something like that too, but Kid gave him the bad news. "Your Companion has the same thing on her. You guys may be our guests, but we can't let you go telling everyone what we're doing and where we are."

"You're a mage? And what do you mean guests?"

The young man simply made a bow. "I am Kid. Journeyman level mage, soon to be Master if I can do everything right. And you are the prisoner/guest of Mr. Evandar Skeith, leader of the No-Names."

Ken just wondered where the hell he was and where this teen's sanity went. The guard seemed to understand what Ken was thinking and explained for him. "After Evan's group got to be around 10 members, the member's started to wonder what we should call ourselves. Evan didn't really care what our name was, so people just started flinging suggestions out. Someone said that since we didn't have a name, that maybe we should just be called the No-Names. Everyone liked it, so the name stuck."

"Reso, I wanted to tell the story."

"You weren't even here when we decided the name."

"That doesn't mean I couldn't have told the story."

Despite having the name thing cleared up, Ken was still slightly confused about the whole prisoner/guest thing. The Reso character understood that as well.

"As for the other part, Evan told us that while you couldn't leave the campground, that you also were not allowed to be hurt by anyone, for any reason. In one respect, you are our prisoner, but in the other, you are our guest."

Ken simply wondered what being a prisoner/guest entailed, and simply wondered what the future held. "Can I see Marrie? I'm not really used to not being able to talk to her."

"As long as you have a chaperone with you, you can go anywhere you want. The only places that are forbidden are the Captain's Tent, Mage Tent, and Fid's Tent." Reso was busy untying the Herald while he explained this. Kid took it upon himself to give further explanations.

"The Captain's Tent is where Evan and Gael stay, make their plan and interview people. Mage Tent is where I keep all of my magical supplies, and Fid's Tent is where Fid stays. We'll show you where those are so you won't try to go there by mistake."

_That's a nice way of saying that if I go there, they'll skin me alive._ Despite that knowledge, Ken thought these people were being very nice. No threats, no rough treatment, no pain, if he didn't know any better, the Herald would have assumed they were a group of mercenaries, not bandits. The people outside his cell/tent gave him the same feeling and impression. Some were running chores, some had guard duty, others were just relaxing, but Ken didn't get the feeling that he was in danger or that any of these people would hurt him.

The three off-limits tents were easy to spot. They were the largest in the group, but not by a lot. Captain's Tent was largest of the three, second was Fid's Tent, and last was the Mage Tent. These three tents were larger because those used them were important. Ken could understand why their Captain would get a larger size (he didn't know who Gael was but he planned on asking) and why the Mages would get a large one too, but he didn't know why this Fid person would get a tent to himself.

He chose not to ask because they were getting close to the horse corral near the center of the camp. There he saw his Companion Marrie chained to a thick fence post. She had enough slack so she could walk around a little, but not a lot. The chain seemed well secured too, it was impossible for her to break free and try to get help. These guys are too good. How do they know so much?

When she'd seen them coming, Marrie had walked as close to the fence as possible. After getting permission, and Kid's cheerily reminding him that he was a guest and could go anywhere he wanted except outside of the tent perimeter and to the restricted places, he walked hopped the fence and walked up to his Companion. He noted that her restraints didn't have a lock on them, making them magically sealed. He put his hand on his friends neck and got a blast of Mindspeech.

_:-YOU HERE ME?! PLEASE TALK TO ME KEN!!: _Marrie was worried, anxious, and most of all, loud.

_:I can here you now love, I just needed to make contact with you.:_

Marrie changed her tone back to normal _:Thank the gods, I was going crazy not being able to talk to you. How did you know we needed to touch?:_

_:That's what that Mage over there said. It seems we're in a strange situation.:_ Ken filled her in on everything that had happened, there restrictions, and that he hadn't been harmed.

_:There hasn't been much going on my end. Whatever they used paralyzed my mind and I didn't know what was happening. When they undid everything, I was already chained up and had my Mindspeech blocked. I have learned that while their captain Evan is important, this Fid is equally special.:_

_:You know why?:_

_:Just that he seems to know a lot. He's the one who taught Kid how to make those magical items, who helps Even and Gael plans their raids, and he also knew about Companions being intelligent. To hear the men talking, you'd think he knows everything.:_

_:You sure seem to know a lot, do you know who this Gael is?:_

_:She's Even's lover and Co-Captain. I know so much because the bandits seem to be more open mouthed around horses, even after Fid's warnings.:_

_:Huh?:_

_:One of the bandits said they should watch what they say around me because Fid said I was intelligent and could understand what they're talking about. Some of them seemed to believe because they moved to talk elsewhere, but others just laughed saying that Fid had finally grown a sense of humor.:_

_:He sounds like a mage to me.:_

_:Whoever he is, he's one of the top dogs.:_

The two talked for a while longer before Ken finally decided to leave and try to learn more. When he looked back at his guards, he found only Reso was left.

Kid had finally gone to visit Fid. The Mage knew about his friend's powers and understood that man would never jeopardize the group. Kid also knew the Forseer, the Prophet as some of the men called him sometimes, loved to play games and have fun. He wanted to know if there was another way they could have done everything or if the man had lead them down their current path just for his amusement again.

As he approached the large tent, he thought he heard Fid talking to someone. When pulled back the tent flap the young mage herd his friend say, "…ready, set, Go." A quick glance around the tent didn't tell him much, so he tried the direct path. "Who where you just talking to Fid?"

"Just the future my young mage friend. What brings you here?"

"Don't you know already?"

"It wouldn't be very fun to look at everything that's going to happen."

Kid just sigh, "Alright, are you sure it was a good idea, capturing the Herald like that? What if they come after us?"

"They were already after us my young friend." If you could do anything to piss Kid off, it was to treat him like a little kid. _You're only 5 years older then I am! That's not enough for you to talk like you're my father or uncle._ "This Herald was very good at tracking. If we'd left, he would have eventually found our campsite, followed us, and eventually caught up with us. All the while learning what he could and reporting it to the Heraldic Circle." He laid back on one of the many large pillows in the room. The man's condition made him weak, so he was kept as comfortable as possible.

"Now we'll have a few weeks until they discover their Herald is missing and decide who to send to search for him. If they send just an ordinary Herald, then it won't be as fun. But… if He decided to go along, then things will get very interesting."

"He?"

"Yes, the one who holds the past."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not in any way shape or form own Mercedes Lackey, any of the Heralds of Valdemar books or the world it is set in. Some of the names I have stolen from other books I've read, shows I've watched and Games that I played. The idea for Aderyn's Gift was inspired by(ok, stolen from) the manga Land of the Blindfolded.

**Summary:**

Past and Future

Chapter 2

By: TsukasaTheFominian

"I hope he's still alive." Herald Vris was very worried about Kendel. She had always been close to him, and perhaps she wasn't best for the mission. Especially if she was going to let her emotions get involved. Perhaps it was because she was getting emotional that she was chosen. She was very deadly with a sword when she wanted. Her small frame, brown hair, and toned muscles were very fast and could easily overtake most opponents in the three Collegias.

Herald Leon was worried too, but more because the Herald had gone missing without a trace. His blue eyes were very good at seeing distances, especially accompanied by his Gift of Farsight. Accompanied with his blond hair and handsome face, he usually got many lady callers, many of which he accepted.

Today however, his mind was focused on this mystery that had cropped up. While investigating roomers about a group of bandits, Herald Kendel and his Companion Marrie had vanished. Villagers from one side of this forest had seen the Herald go in, but he never came out. Those back at Haven hadn't known about this for a week because Ken had just made his weekly report before his disappearance. To add more, the bandits had disappeared as well. While this made the local Lord very happy it only added to Leon's suspicions that the bandits had captured the Herald and was somehow blocking his and Marrie's Mindspeech abilities.

Leon's Companion Rhodry thought his theory was well founded, and when he shared it with the others, Vris and her Companion Cullyn both thought it was good too. Aderyn had also thought it was good, but said he wanted to "check things out first."

In a private conversation, both Vris and Leon wondered why the young boy hadn't been Chosen. The power to see into the past seemed very useful, and Aderyn's gift had already helped clear up a few murders and intrigue cases. For whatever reason, the 20 year old scamp had not been Chosen and it looked like he never would be.

They were now riding through the forest which Kendel had disappeared… well the Heralds were riding, Aderyn was walking barefoot down the dirt rode. When the two white clad warriors had asked, the man had simply stated, "I can't _see_ if I don't have physical contact."

Currently, the young man seemed to be walking through a vision while physically walking at the same time. His brown eyes were unfocused, and he kept looking at things that were not there. Personally, Leon thought the young man might have been more popular with the ladies if he could work on his personality. He was thin, well muscled, his brown hair and handsome features were very attractive but he was also very rude with people.

Suddenly the young man stopped in his tracks and simply looked at the ground. After a while he raised his head and blankly stared at the rode. He nodded as he came out of his trance and began talking.

"It seems that Leon's theory was completely correct. The bandits laid an ambush here and caught Ken and Marrie off guard. They somehow knocked out the two with some magical items, loaded them onto a cart, and took them somewhere," he pointed south off the trail, "that way."

It was the first time either Herald had seen the man use his ability. They'd herd about it from others but they had no first hand experience. Vris had to admit that she was impressed. She had good tracking skills, but there didn't seem to be any traces of a struggle, and after two weeks of traffic and weather it would be near impossible to get any information off of the surrounding land.

Aderyn put on his shoes again and began walking in the direction he saw in his vision, touching trees and bushed to get his bearings once and a while. After walking for half a mark, the group found themselves in a clearing. A river ran by one side of it and there seemed to be some signs of recent use. Not very recent, but less then a month old.

"It looks to me like they left about two weeks ago." Vris was finally able to put her tracking skills to good work.

Leon was next. "It was probably right after they got Ken."

"I'm going to find out what I can **see**." Aderyn stated. He began walking off in a daze.

His four traveling companions watched him walk off while Rhodry commented, _:It must be nice to have a power like that under your control.:_

--------------------------------------------

A young man walked through the bandit camp, he knew he shouldn't be there and if they ever caught him actually doing this, they'd probably kill him. However, he knew he was safe.

_After all,_ Aderyn told himself, _this is just the past._

He could see everything. Who was there, what their job was, how they acted. Nothing was hidden from his "eyes". The power to see the past was just as rare as being able to see the future, nobody ever really though that someone in the future would be watching their past actions.

What was more, his gift didn't seem to have limits. It didn't matter how far in the past something was, he could see it if he focused enough. Once, he'd even seen a battle that had taken place long ago. He didn't understand what the people were saying, but there had been lots of mages and even some non-human creatures fighting as well. Though he didn't like seeing the fighting too much, he loved to see the Griffons flying though the sky.

He saw someone who looked like he was important walking up to a large tent. Not the largest, but one of the larger ones. It seemed like a good lead so Aderyn decided to follow him and see what he could learn. The man entered a room which had a lot of pillows in it, as well as a lot of very beautiful things. Jewels, silk, also a lot of books too. In the center of it all was a young man about Aderyn's age, the man was skinny and didn't look too strong. He looked half sick, like anything could send him with a cold. Despite that, he had a fair complexion with his light brown hair and emerald eyes.

"Are you sure that it was a good idea? We should have just left a few days ago, or have gone knocked him out while we left."

The man who spoke was a well dressed warrior. Aderyn may not have been very good with a sword, but this man seemed like he was a pro. His medium build, black hair and black eyes made him handsome, but not nearly as attractive as the boy who he was talking to. And compared to this 40-year-old seasoned fighter, the other was just a boy.

"We've already gone over this, and I told you, he'll be of great help later if we get in trouble. We just need to treat him like a guest. Once we get far enough away, we'll let him go if we don't have to use him as a bargaining chip."

"I just don't like how you're being so vague with me. You're usually much more open with me then this."

The young man just smiled at the older one. It was a smile that wasn't forced and wasn't of pity or anger. It was a true smile of happiness.

"Sorry to worry you my friend, but even I am allowed to have my secrets. Now you need to be getting back to that lovely wife of yours." The young man said. There was mischief in his eyes as well. "You know how lonely she can get Evan."

_So that's his name, Evan. I wonder who the younger one is?_

Evan just smiled at the younger man. It was a sad smile which told volumes about what he felt toward the younger man. "I owe you so much Fid. My life, this group, my wife. I wish you could tell me what you truly want so I can help you with it."

Fid just smiled sadly back at the older man. "That's my secret as well old man. Now get going." When Evan left, Aderyn didn't follow. Fid seemed like he was a better candidate for information. He figured he could see what he was writing, but he began talking again. "And now we can speak privately." Aderyn looked around his vision, expecting to see someone come in through the doorway or from behind a curtain. He was too shocked by his next words to even think. "I'm talking to you Aderyn."

He almost lost his vision from the shock, but somehow kept holding on to it. The vision continued to speak to him. "I am know as Fidchell, the Prophet. I know you'll be in the future campsite trying to see the past because I can see you in the future." _Someone with Foresight?_ "While I know you'll be having a vision of the past, I don't really know what questions you would ask me, so please don't. I'm actually looking forward to what this will bring about, and I'm wondering which of our powers will prove to be more useful. Your ability to see the past, or mine to see the future. Should we make a game out of this? Or maybe a race?"

The tent flap opened while he was finishing. "Ready, set, Go." The young man who walked in looked around the tent but found nobody there.

"Who where you just talking to Fid?"

"Just the future my young mage friend. What brings you here?"

--------------------------------------

Aderyn came out of his vision quite shaken. Nobody had ever talked to him in one of his visions. Nobody in all the time he remembered. _Though I never have really tried to see the past of someone with Foresight before. Foresight, that'll really though our plans off._

"Are you alright Ad?" It was Leon, he was obviously worried about the young man. Vris and the Companions both seem worried as well.

_I never have come out of a vision like this before. Its understandable._

"I need to tell you something important." He told them everything that had he saw, and everything Fidchell had said.

Rhodry was the first to comment. _:This greatly complicates things. I've never herd of someone with Foresight outside of the Heralds before. And he sounds extremely strong if he was able to talk to Aderyn in a vision.:_

"It wasn't that." The seer explained. "He knew that I'd be here, looking into the past and searching for what happened, so he left a message that I would **see**."

Vris was the one to bring them back to their mission. "So the enemy knows that we're following them. I know some people with Foresight and they all say the same thing; they can only see the future that is most likely. Sometimes when there are too many choices or equal chances for those choices they can't see any one future."

"So should we call for backup?" Asked Leon.

_:They're already out of the country, even if they have stolen one of our Heralds. And with two weeks to travel, they might even be out of Rethwellan and somewhere farther south.:_ Cullyn supplied.

"Well," Herald Vris began. "We need to tell Queen Selenay about this. Maybe she can put the Alliance on alert. A group of bandits who have a powerful Foreseer is nothing to be ignored. Then we need to try and follow them. Even if they plan on eventually release him, there still bandits and I don't trust them."

Leon tried to sum up their plan. "So, we'll contact the Palace, give them an update, try to find a way to block Fidchell's Foresight, and go in to rescue Kendal."

Everyone had their doubts, but Aderyn was the one to voice his. "I really don't think it'll be that easy." Something in his tone made everyone look at him. "I don't think we'll be able to block his gift so easily. And it won't be simple even without Fidchell's ability."


End file.
